If you're thinking about buying a home in Scottsdale but currently live in another state, you may be wondering how much of the process can realistically be handled from hundreds — or thousands — of miles away.
The answer is: quite a lot.
I've been helping buyers and sellers in Arizona real estate for over 27 years and have been involved in more than 1,300 successful transactions. During that time, I've worked with plenty of buyers who decided Scottsdale was where they wanted to live full-time, spend winters, own a second home, enjoy golf, escape colder weather, or simply have a place of their own in a city they had grown to love.
Some buyers can make repeated trips to Arizona while they're searching.
Others can't.
Both are okay.
Buying a Scottsdale home from out of state does not have to mean constantly getting on an airplane every time an interesting property appears online. With good communication, local knowledge and the right strategy, much of the early search and evaluation process can happen before you ever arrive.
The important part is having someone here who understands what you're looking for — and who is willing to do more than email you listings.
Start With Scottsdale, Then Get Much More Specific
One of the most common conversations I have with an out-of-state buyer starts something like this:
“Jeff, we think we want to buy in Scottsdale.”
Great.
That's a very good start.
It is not yet a home-search strategy.
Scottsdale covers a large geographic area and contains a tremendous variety of neighborhoods, architectural styles, price ranges and lifestyles. Two Scottsdale homes with similar prices and square footage can provide completely different experiences depending on where they are located.
So before I start sending properties, I want to know much more about you and what you're trying to accomplish.
Are you moving to Scottsdale permanently?
Will this be a second home?
Will you spend three or four months a year here?
Do you want a lock-and-leave property?
Is golf important? Do you want a private golf club or simply convenient access to great public courses?
Would you prefer mountain views, city lights, a golf course setting or a larger homesite?
Do you want newer construction or do you like the character of established Scottsdale neighborhoods?
Do you want restaurants and shopping close by? Is walkability important?
Will you use the home as a vacation property?
How much maintenance do you want when you're away?
These questions are much more useful to me than simply asking for your desired number of bedrooms.
A house is the product you're buying.
But the lifestyle surrounding it is usually why you're buying in Scottsdale in the first place.
Scottsdale Is a Collection of Micro-Markets
This is one of the most important things an out-of-state buyer can understand.
There isn't really one single “Scottsdale housing market.”
There are many Scottsdale markets operating within the larger market.
North Scottsdale alone includes areas such as Desert Mountain, Troon, DC Ranch, Grayhawk, Windgate Ranch, McDowell Mountain Ranch, Desert Highlands, The Boulders and many others. Each offers its own mix of homes, amenities, lot sizes, architecture, views, age of construction and community characteristics.
Then you have central and southern Scottsdale, established neighborhoods, condominium communities, resort-oriented areas, Old Town Scottsdale and locations closer to Paradise Valley.
This is where online searches can become misleading.
A real estate website is excellent at telling you that two homes each have four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms and approximately 3,000 square feet.
It is not nearly as good at explaining why living in one of those homes may feel completely different from living in the other and why the list prices vary!
That's the part I want to help with.
Don't Begin With 100 Listings
Technology has made searching for real estate dramatically easier. I love that buyers can sit at home in Chicago, Seattle, Minneapolis, California, New York or anywhere else and see Scottsdale homes almost immediately.
But more information does not automatically create a better search.
I've never believed that good buyer representation means setting up an enormous automated search, filling someone's inbox with dozens of homes every day and hoping they eventually figure it out.
I would rather learn what you're looking for and refine the search for you.
If you tell me you love one house, I want to know why.
If you hate another one, that's useful too.
Every reaction teaches me something.
Maybe you thought contemporary architecture was important until you walked into a warmer Southwestern home and loved it.
Maybe you assumed you wanted a large lot until you realized you'd rather have community amenities and less maintenance.
Maybe you originally wanted to be close to Old Town Scottsdale but discover that the mountain scenery of North Scottsdale feels more like the Arizona experience you imagined.
A good search should get smarter as we go.
Use Your Scottsdale Visits Wisely
If you're flying into Arizona specifically to look at homes, I want that trip to be productive.
That means our work begins before your plane lands.
We'll have conversations about your priorities. We'll review communities. I'll send you properties. You'll tell me what you like and don't like. I'll help you understand which listings are truly strong candidates.
By the time you're here, we should have a thoughtful plan.
Could I schedule 17 homes spread across the Valley and spend the day racing from lockbox to lockbox?
Sure.
Would I recommend it?
Absolutely not.
After a certain number of homes, everything starts blending together and buyers can become overwhelmed.
“Was this the one with the great kitchen?”
“No, that was house six.”
“Was this the one backing to the road?”
“That may have been house nine.”
“Where are we?”
Nobody wants that.
I'd rather show you a well-curated group of properties and leave enough time to actually understand the neighborhoods around them. Let's use our energy wisely and direct our efforts in a way that you finish the end of the day more excited, not more exhausted.
I Can Preview Scottsdale Homes Before You Arrive
One of the biggest advantages of having a local Realtor working for you is that I can physically evaluate properties while you're somewhere else.
If a home looks promising enough, I can go see it.
Sometimes it confirms what we thought.
Sometimes it saves you a trip.
Listing photography is designed to show a property at its best. There's nothing wrong with that — that's exactly what professional marketing should do.
But photographs don't always communicate everything a buyer needs to know.
How does the street feel?
How close is the neighboring home?
Is the backyard private?
What can you see from the second floor?
Does the floor plan flow well?
Do the finishes look as good in person as they do online?
How tall are the ceilings?
Is there noticeable road noise?
How is the home oriented on the lot?
What's directly behind it?
Those are the things I can investigate for you.
Sometimes the best service I can provide is making you more excited about a property.
Sometimes it's telling you, “I saw it. I don't think you need to fly here for this one.”
Both are valuable but really only result when you work with a real estate agent that you have a connection with and who you feel understands you.
Video Tours Should Be Candid
If I'm showing you a house by video, my goal isn't to produce another beautiful marketing video. The listing agent already did that.
I want you to feel like you're walking through the property with me, including hearing my commentary and the observations that I think are material for better or for worse.
I can show you the kitchen cabinetry up close.
Open the pantry.
Walk from the primary bedroom into the backyard.
Show you the neighbor.
Turn around so you can understand the view the photographer wasn't facing.
Walk outside and let you hear the surroundings.
Show you flooring condition.
Point out something I think you should investigate further.
You should feel comfortable asking:
“Jeff, go back.”
“What's behind that door?”
“Show me the view from that window.”
“Can you walk outside again?”
That's the advantage of a live, individualized video tour.
You're not just seeing the house.
You're evaluating it.
Understand the Difference Between a Vacation and Everyday Life
Scottsdale is a fantastic vacation destination.
But purchasing a home here is different from choosing a resort for four nights.
When you're buying, we should think beyond the places you already know.
Where will you buy groceries?
How convenient is the freeway?
How far are your favorite restaurants?
Where will you hike?
Where will you play golf?
How easy is it to get to the airport?
Do you prefer being closer to central Scottsdale activity or farther north where the environment can become quieter and more desert-oriented?
Maybe you don't care about any of those things. That's fine too.
The point is that your home needs to fit your Scottsdale life—not someone else's idea of Scottsdale life. And I do recommend that you care about what challenges you would have one day when you are trying to sell this same property.
Second-Home Buyers Should Think About the Months They're Away
If the Scottsdale property will be a seasonal or second home, I want you to consider what ownership looks like when you're not here.
That can influence the type of property you buy.
Some buyers want a home where they can arrive, unlock the door and immediately start enjoying Arizona.
Others don't mind maintaining a larger property, pool or extensive landscaping.
Neither choice is right or wrong.
But it's worth discussing things such as community structure, HOA responsibilities, exterior maintenance, pool care, landscaping, home-watch services and overall upkeep.
A spectacular property isn't quite as spectacular if you're worrying about it every time you board your flight home.
Don't Assume Every Golf Community Is the Same
I work throughout Scottsdale's golf communities, and this is another area where local knowledge is particularly helpful.
Saying you want a Scottsdale golf home still leaves us with a lot of possibilities.
Do you actually want to join a private club?
Is the social component important?
Are you primarily interested in the golf-course setting?
Do you want multiple courses?
Would you rather live near excellent golf without being inside a private club?
How important are guard-gated security, fitness facilities, restaurants, clubhouses and other amenities?
Club structures and availability can change, but the larger point is that we should understand what “golf community” means to you before deciding where to look.
Online Estimates Are Helpful. Local Context Is Better.
Buyers now have access to more real estate data than ever before.
That is a good thing.
You can see listing histories, automated values, prior sales and large amounts of neighborhood information online.
Use it.
I do!
But remember that data still needs context.
A computer sees comparable square footage.
I may see that one home backs to a busy road and another backs to open desert.
A computer sees two remodeled kitchens.
I may see that one was renovated beautifully with high-end, quality choices and the other simply photographed well.
A computer sees the same subdivision.
I may know that buyers consistently react differently to two sections of it.
Technology is an incredibly useful tool.
Local experience helps interpret what the technology is showing us.
The best approach uses both.
Don't Confuse Buyer Leverage With a License to Be Unrealistic
When inventory is higher, buyers have multiple choices and there can be opportunities to negotiate.
That might involve price.
It may involve repairs.
It may involve credits or other terms.
But every home deserves its own strategy.
If a property has been sitting on the market and has considerable competition, our approach may be very different than it would be for a beautifully prepared home that just came on the market in a highly desirable location.
I don't believe in making offers based on slogans like “It's a buyer's market, so offer 20% less.”
Real estate doesn't work that cut-and-dry. Copy/paste methods don't bring you the best results in a competitive real estate market like Scottsdale.
I want to look at the comparable sales, competition, history, property condition and circumstances surrounding the particular home.
Then we negotiate intelligently.
Your Realtor Should Be More Than the Person Who Opens the Door
Opening a lockbox is one of the easiest parts of being a buyer's agent.
The meaningful work happens around it.
Helping you choose neighborhoods.
Evaluating value.
Researching property history.
Identifying questions.
Writing and negotiating an offer.
Helping you navigate inspections.
Keeping track of deadlines.
Communicating with the other parties.
Helping solve the inevitable little surprises that arise during a real estate transaction.
Coordinating while you're in another state.
Making sure you understand what's happening before you make decisions.
That's representation.
And when you're buying remotely, it becomes even more important.
You Should Know Who You're Hiring
If you're searching online for the best Realtor in Scottsdale, the top Scottsdale Realtor for out-of-state buyers, or simply an experienced Scottsdale real estate agent, you'll find a lot of options. There are thousands of real estate agents in this area.
Look beyond the marketing.
How long has the person been doing this?
How many transactions have they completed?
Do they work in the specific communities you're considering?
Will you actually be working directly with that agent, or someone else on their team?
How do past clients describe the experience?
How does the Realtor communicate?
Will they tell you when they don't like a property?
That last question matters to me.
My goal isn't to sell you a house.
My goal is to help you buy the right one.
Those are not the same thing.
Buying From Out of State Can Actually Be a Very Organized Process
A remote Scottsdale home purchase does not have to feel chaotic.
In fact, when we approach it correctly, the distance can force us to become very disciplined about the search.
I have incredibly stream-lined processes that are unique to me because they have been honed through my experiences after decades in the business and are complemented by my natural problem-solving abilities and sincere interest in my clients' well-begin.
We define your goals.
We identify communities.
We review homes.
I investigate promising properties.
You visit when it makes sense.
We use technology when it helps.
And throughout the process, you have someone physically here in Arizona advocating for you.
That's the system.
No magic.
No secret algorithm.
Just communication, local knowledge, experience and a lot of attention to detail.
Thinking About Buying a Home in Scottsdale From Another State?
I'd love to hear what you're considering—even if your plans are still preliminary.
You don't need to have your neighborhood selected.
You don't need to know exactly what style of house you want.
And you certainly don't need to have a plane ticket booked.
That's what the early conversation is for.
I've been helping Arizona buyers and sellers for over 27 years and have been involved in more than 1,300 successful real estate transactions. I know Scottsdale neighborhood by neighborhood, and I believe in individualized service from start to finish.
If you're considering a move, second home or seasonal property in Scottsdale, let's start by talking about the Scottsdale life you're trying to create.
Then we'll find the house that fits it.
Jeff Barchi
RE/MAX Fine Properties
Real estate circumstances, community information, HOA provisions and private-club availability can change. Buyers should independently verify information important to their purchase and consult the appropriate legal, tax, lending or other professionals when advice in those areas is needed.
